After modifying a wall panel on Pope Pius XII’s actions toward the Jews during World War II, Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum has softened its position further, with an exhibition marking the 50 Years of honouring Righteous Among the Nations

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The Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum deals with the issue of the Vatican’s actions during the Holocaust in an exhibition currently open in Jerusalem. After ending the heated historiographical debate surrounding Pius XII’s actions towards Jews during the Holocaust, by modifying a contested panel dedicated to the former pope, the museum has stressed that sometimes the Vatican was aware of the fact that convents and monasteries opened their doors to Jewish people.

The exhibition marks the 50th year of honouring the Righteous Among Nations – the honorific used by Jerusalem to describe those who put their lives at risk to save Jews from Nazi extermination. The exhibition was inaugurated about a week ago and is called: “I am my brother’s keeper”. The phrase alludes to the question Cain asks in the Bible but the question mark has been deliberately removed from the exhibition title. The exhibition is based on some controversies and emblematic stories surrounding the efforts of various people to help Jews during the Holocaust. The Yad Vashem lists as many as 25 thousand people as Righteous. One of the sections of the exhibition is dedicated to men from all Christian Churches who performed acts of heroism.

This part of the exhibition highlights the point of view expressed in Jewish historiography but also refers to the objections raised by the controversial panel on Pius XII. “Christian conduct during the Holocaust continues to challenge the Christian world well into the 21st century. Confronted with the murder of the Jews, many church leaders and clergy remained silent, and some even collaborated. A few – from all Christian denominations – risked their lives to save Jews or spoke out loudly against the murder of the Jews,” the online version of the exhibition’s introductory note reads.

Regarding the relationship between anti-Jewish prejudices and Nazi anti-Semitism, the exhibition claims that “even though Nazi racial anti-Semitism differed from Christian traditional anti-Judaism, it strongly built on existing prejudices.” It also comments on the Catholic Church’s attitude during the Holocaust: “The lack of overt and unequivocal guidance by the Vatican left the decision to initiate rescue of Jews to the heads of Catholic institutions. Some superiors of convents, monasteries and other intuitions opened their doors to Jewish fugitives, sometimes with the knowledge of the Vatican. In some cases Bishops and other Catholic leaders called on their clergy and believers to help the Jews.”

“Some of these Righteous Among the Nations even manifested profound respect for the faith of their protégées; they not only saved their lives, but also helped them adhere to their religious teaching – celebrating holidays, praying and following Jewish religious rules - while in hiding,” the note adds.

Although the exhibition in memory of the Righteous shows that opinions are divided over Pius XII’s efforts to help the Jews, it does offer new elements which may help visitors to Yad Vashem understand what has so far been a purely verbal debate.